Remembering Memorial Day

As this three-day holiday weekend draws to a close, I'm taking a break from the sun and fun of this "unofficial start of Summer" to reflect on the meaning of this very special holiday.

As I sit here and blog on about religion, I am so grateful that I am free to do such a thing. And, I know that freedom isn't free. It comes for a price that has been paid by members of our armed services, especially those who gave their lives for that freedom. To their friends and loved ones, I say thank you. To their departed souls, I pray a prayer of gratitude.

To learn more about the history and traditions of Memorial Day, check out USMemorialDay.org. The site claims the holiday has lost its meaning since it became a three-day weekend in 1971, and I concur. To counter that, there's an effort underway to restore the traditional observance of Memorial Day to May 30th, instead of the "last Monday in May."

The Memorial Day site includes poems and prayers to mark the day. Remember Me, by Jimmie Barlow, reminds us to never forget:

Remember me as your son
when you used to doctor my bumps
remember me playing in the dirt
remember me crying when i would get hurt
remember walking to get my diploma
remember arguing and saying I'm gonna
remember me as a man doing my job
remember me , and please don't sob.
I did what I had to do no matter what
I was heavily trained and I fought
no regrets as I am in a wonderful place
Remember me when you look at my purple heart in your glass case.